Indian cricket star Virat Kohli is currently encountering surprising difficulties against spin bowling in the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka.
Virat Kohli faced criticism after underperforming with the bat in the first two ODIs against Sri Lanka. Following his announcement to retire from T20Is after the World Cup in June, Kohli returned to the Indian squad for the ODI series but hasn’t found his rhythm. He struggled against the spinners on the challenging Sri Lankan pitches, managing only 24 and 14 runs in the two matches.
As a result, India finds itself trailing 0-1 in the series after their loss in the second game on Sunday. This series marks Kohli’s first under the guidance of new head coach Gautam Gambhir, but he’s yet to make a significant impact. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali expressed his surprise at the 35-year-old’s recent difficulties.
“A great batsman like Virat Kohli, the world’s number one batsman, has been out LBW twice. It’s understandable if it happens to Iyer or Dube, but Virat Kohli is Virat Kohli. This means that he is not in practice,” Basit said on his YouTube Channel.
In both matches, Kohli was dismissed LBW, first by Wanindu Hasaranga and then by Jeffrey Vandersay. These dismissals have led to questions about his preparation and form when facing spin bowling. Ali also noted concerns about other key players in the Indian team.
Basit mentioned that KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer, who didn’t play in the T20I series, had to face the challenge of playing on turning tracks in the ODI matches without any prior practice.
“It did not seem that this is the batting lineup which rules the world. I feel that Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul probably haven’t even practiced. These people have come without practice,” he added.
The former Pakistan cricketer was quite blunt in his criticism of Iyer’s consecutive failures with the bat. He suggested that Gautam Gambhir should consider selecting Rishabh Pant or Riyan Parag, who were not included in the playing XI for the first two matches.
“I don’t understand what is Shreyas Iyer going to do with such performances. I think the time has come for Rishabh Pant, Riyan Parag, and Rinku Singh. India’s 50-over domestic tournament will be vital for Gautam Gambhir because he will have to take some players from there. If India pick players based on reputation, the results won’t be too good in the Champions Trophy,” he concluded.
The series’ final match will take place on Wednesday at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. India will be eager to level the three-match series and recover from their previous setbacks.
